Game apparatus



Jan. 15, 1963 F. STIEBER 3,

GAME APPARATUS Filed Sept. 7, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Jan. 15, 1963 F. STIEBER 3,073,600

GAME APPARATUS Filed Sept. 7, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR F red S/ieber ATTORNEY 3,073,600 GAME APPARATUS Fred Stieher, 4105 W. Cermak Road, Chicago 23, ill. Filed Sept. 7, 1%@, Ser. No. 54,417 7 Ciaims. (Ci. 273-120) This invention relates to game apparatus and more particularly to games in which a game piece may with skill be delivered into a pocket associated with a game board.

An object of this invention is the provision of game apparatus having a considerable entertainment value and in this regard including a game board which is equipped with a pocket or cavity to accommodate a spherical game piece, and which board is so constructed as to call for aim and speed control for the game piece to be rolled into the pocket from a Zone where the game piece is initially delivered.

Another object is to provide game apparatus of the character indicated which includes an aid for a player to deliver the game piece onto the board and thus put the game piece into play.

A further object is that of providing game apparatus of the character indicated in which the pocket or cavity for receiving the game piece has an entrance communicating with a gutter extending across the entrance so that the game piece may miss or enter the pocket from the gutter depending upon the skill of the player.

Still another object is the provision of game apparatus of the character indicated which includes pivotally adjustable means as an aid for aiming the game piece before the game piece is delivered toward the pocket and for controlling the speed of the delivery.

Another object is to provide game apparatus wherein a substantially spherical game piece encounters a wall for guiding the game piece along a path which is substantially tangential to the pocket and the pocket has an entrance through which, under conditions of skillful delivery, the game piece will enter the pocket from the guide path instead of escaping the entrance to travel along the guide path.

A further object is the provision of a game board of the character indicated in which the wall for guiding the game piece along the path of travel is curved concave inward toward the pocket entrance.

Other objects in part will be obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

Thus, in accordance with the present invention, a game board is provided having a pocket or cavity adapted to receive a substantially spherical game piece and the board includes a Wall along a guide path for the game piece. The wall extends tangentially past the pocket and has an entrance to the pocket for the game piece to enter the pocket from the guide path. A playing surface of the board leads to the wall and is adapted to support a game piece in rolling contact for the game piece, if suitably aimed and delivered, to enter the pocket.

In the accompanying drawing representing certain preferred embodiments of the present invention:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a playing board having a swivelly mounted game piece delivery aid at one end of the board;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional elevation of a portion of the game device, the section being taken along lines 2-2 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged detail view in perspective of a portion of the gutter and an associated pocket of the game apparatus, corresponding to FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a broken away perspective view of a rearward portion of the game board and representing a swivelly mounted ramp for delivering a game piece onto the board, the ramp and its fastenings being viewed from underneath;

ididd Patented Jan. 15, 1953 FIGURE 5 is a plan view of a modified form of game apparatus still in accordance with the present invention; and

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of yet another modified form of apparatus of the present invention.

Referring now to the embodiment represented in FIG- URES 1 to 4, inclusive, a game board 1 is provided having a substantially fiat playing surface 1a adapted to support a substantially spherical game piece such as a marble in rolling contact thereon. Playing surface 1a has an outwardly curved front edge 2, an outwardly curved rear edge 3 having inwardly curved opposite ends 3a, and also has substantially parallel side edges 4 and 5. The board is preferably provided along front edge 2 and side edges 4 and 5 with an upstanding wall 6 which extends along front edge 2 and rearwardly along side edges 4 and 5, approxi mately to the intersection of the side edges with the corresponding ends 3a of the rear edge of the board. Wall 6 includes an upper guard portion 7 disposed above playing surface 1a and a lower portion 8 disposed below the un derneath surface of the playing board. Lower portion 8 thus provides a peripheral support for the game board when the latter is placed on a table or the like. Upper guard portion 7 serves as a fence to prevent an active game piece from rolling off the game board.

A substantially U-shaped gutter 11 in the playing surface la has an outwardly curved front portion 12 spaced inwardly from front edge 2 of the game board, and substantially straight side portions 13 and 14 spaced inwardly from side edges 4 and '5 of the board. Front portion 12 and side portions 13 and 14 of gutter 11 are preferably spaced symmetrically apart from the corresponding side edges of game board 1 so that a portion of playing surface In is disposed between the side portions of the trough and the adjacent portions of wall 6. Further, side portions 13 and 14 of the gutter terminate respectively in ends 13a and 14a adjacent rear edge 3 of game board 1, and stop blocks 13!) and 141; are disposed on playing surface It: adjacent gutter ends 13a and 14a respectively. Each stop block extends between upper guard portion 7 of wall 6 and the adjacent side portion of the gutter, and the blocks serve with the aid of gutter 11 to isolate those areas of the playing surface 1a which are on opposite sides of the gutter.

Gutter 11 includes a bottom surface 15 and side walls 15:: and 15b extending upwardly from bottom 35 and intersecting playing surface in to define front and rear gutter edges lea and 16b respectively. Bottom surface 25 of the gutter in the present embodiment is provided with a longitudinal rib 17 (see FIGURES 2 and 3) which divides the gutter into two spaced coextensive longitudinal channels its and l? for such purpose as will be explained more fully hereinafter. Three spaced game piece receiving pockets or cavities 20, each of which is adapted to contain at least one game piece, are provided in playing surface in of the game board. The pockets or cavities are disposed between the outwardly curved portion 12 of gutter l1 and front edge 2 of the board. Each pocket is substantially tang "itia ly associated with the adja cent curved forward side wall 15a, and includes a bottom 21 and a surface 22 extending upwardly from the bottom to playing surface in. Surface 22 of each pocket and playing surface it; of the game board intersect in a substantially circular edge 23 defining the upper periphery of the corresponding pocket. Pockets 2d are positioned forward of the gutter 11 so that a portion of surface 22 thereof lie adjacent to the forward side wall 5a of the gutter. The adjacent portions of wall 15a and inner surfaces 22 of pockets 2% are cut away to define entrances 24 communicating with the gutter and pockets. Each entrance 24 has a lower edge 25 preferably disposed above bottom 21 of the corresponding pocket so that a game piece received in the pocket will be positively retained therein. In order to prevent a game piece in gutter 11 from coming to rest in front of an entrance 2d, channels 18 and 19 of the gutter are provided with raised bottom portions 26 and 27 respectively. The raised bottom portions 26 and 27 are at about the same elevation as the remainder of the bottom of the gutter 11 at each entrance 24, the elevation for example being somewhat lower than that of the corresponding bottom 25 of the entrance. On both sides of each entrance 24, the channels decline away from that same entrance to a relatively low bottom etevation thus to encourage the game piece to seek the lower elevation and avoid blocking the entrance. Par side Wall 15b from pockets 2% forms an edge 1617 with playing surface la rearward of the gutter.

An objective in playing a game using the game board described above is to deliver the spherical game piece onto the board and into one of the pockets 29 associated with the curved gutter. This objective may be accomplished by rolling the game piece from a delivery station in a direct line sought out on the playing surface in and leading to one of the pocket entrances 24. When the game board is used in this manner, a game piece must be delivered onto the board with a velocity suitable to insure that the game piece will pass across gutter 11 and into a pocket 20. If a game piece does not pass through an entrance 2% to a pocket it may roll into the gutter 11 and seek a low portion of one of the channels 18 and E19 by rolling away from raised areas 26 and 27 in front of an entrance. In embodiments in accordance with the present invention, where the side by side channels 18 and 19 are provided by an intermediate longitudinal rib 17, a plurality of the spherical game pieces delivered into the gutter may possibly avoid each other by entering different ones of the channels 18 and 19. In certain instances, rules of the game involve contact or the avoidance of contact of several of the game pieces in the gutter.

Playing surface in may further be provided with obstacles, such as five pockets or cavities 28, disposed rearward of the forward portion 12 of the gutter 11 and between the rearward portions 13 and 14 of the gutter. The obstacles are spaced from each other, preferably are in separate generally parallel rows extending transversely of the game board playing surface in, and are staggered from row to row so as to afford game piece delivery courses from the delivery station, across the playing surface and directly to the pocket entrances 24. Each obstacle cavity 28 is adapted to receive at least one of the game pieces and for the purpose has a bottom 29 and an inner surface 30 which extends upwardly from the bottom 29 to the playing surface 1a. The obstacle cavities therefor serve to be elfective except when a game piece is rolled on a direct course toward a selected one of the pocket entrances 24 from the delivery station, the course for example being one of the variety existing between the obstacles 28 from the delivery station to the pocket entrances 24.

Ramp 31, advantageously serving as the delivery station, is secured to game board 1 adjacent rear edge 3 thereof and aids in aiming and controlling the speed of delivery of the substantially spherical game piece onto the playing surface In. Ramp 31 illustratively includes a base plate 32 (see FIGURE 4) and a game piece guide 33 hingedly associated with the base plate. Thus, the guide may be rotated relative to the base plate between an inclined position, as illustrated in FIGURE 4, and a collapsed position against the game board 1, the latter position being useful such as when the board is to be packaged or stored. Base plate 32 in the present embodiment in fact is pivotally secured to game board 1 by means of a bolt 34- suitably secured to the game board, and is provided with a pair of spaced apart upstanding legs 35. The underneath surface 33a of guide 33 is provided adjacent the forward cnd of the guide with spaced apart legs 36 which overlap legs 35 and are interconnected with the latter legs through apertures in the legs by means of a rod 37 so that guide 33 can move vertically about the rod rela 've to the base plate 32. Rod 37 is restrained axially as by struck portions 3711 so as not to escape from the apertures in the legs. The rearward end of guide 33 is provided on the underneath face with paced apart legs 33 having apertures therein for receiving the corresponding ends of a rod Si Rod 39 is restrained axially against escape from the legs 38 such as by end enlargements 39a. A substantially U-shaped support member 40 is pivotally secured to platform 33 by means of legs 33 and rod 39. ivfore specifically, support member 40, which may be produced from a wire rod, includes a base portion 41 and spaced apart, substantially parallel leg portions 42 extending upward from the base portion. The upper end of each leg 42 is provided with an eyelet around rod 39 and a portion 43 of each free end is directed radially outward from the rod 39 a short distance away from the corresponding leg 42 to provide a stop component for limiting the extent to which support member 40 can be pivoted outward from bottom surface 33a of guide 33. As illustrated in FIGURE 4, base portion 41 of support member 40 engages the upper surface of base plate 32 to hold guide 33 in an up position in which the guide is inclined downward from back end to front end. By pivoting support member 49 toward bottom surface 33a of the platform, the platform is freed for rotating vertically downward relative to base plate 32 to the collapsed position. A support element 44 projecting from the under side of the guide is adapted to engage base plate 32 and thus support the guide when the latter is in the collapsed position. The upper surface 33b of guide 33 is inclined in the up position of the guide and is adapted to support a spherical game piece which is to be rolled down the guide surface and onto the playing surface In of the board. A player of the game may hold the game piece in his fingers against the inclined surface 3% and thus use the surface as a rest for aiming. The distance the game piece is held up the ramp from the playing surface of the board, just before release, will control the speed of delivery. By pivoting the guide 33 about the vertical axis afforded by the fastener 34, the general direction in which the guide is aimed relative to the playing surface can be changed.

In certain instances, a spherical game piece delivered fromthe ramp 51 onto game board 1 is aimed initially into one of the ends 13a and 14a of gutter 11 and will follow a curved path of travel along the substantially vertical wall 15a of the gutter toward pockets 20. If the game piece is delivered at a suitable velocity it will be held in rolling contact with wall 15a by centrifugal force as it travels toward pockets 20. When the game piece reaches an entrance 24 to a pocket, the game piece, depending upon speed will either enter the pocket or will avoid the pocket entrance. If the game piece is traveling too fast when it reaches a pocket 20, it may escape the entrance 24 to that pocket and be guided by curved wall 15:; toward the next such pocket. If, on the other hand, the game piece is not delivered into the gutter with suflicient velocity to carry it along wall 15a to a pocket 2d, the game piece will travel along bottom surface 15 of the gutter and it may, therefore, escape all of the pockets 20.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 5, a game board 50 is provided with a curved gutter 51 and a plurality of game piece receiving pockets or cavities 52. Gutter 51 includes a bottom surface 53 and forward side wall 54 and rearward side wall 55 extending upwardly from bottom 53, side wall 54 being disposed adjacent to three spaced pockets 52. Side wall 54 extends tangentially past pockets 52 and is provided with entrances 56 into the pockets 52, the entrances communicating with the gutter and pockets. Game board 50 is provided with a. playing surface 50a which is adapted to support a substantially spherical game piece in rolling contact thereon, and which playing surface is bounded by an upstanding wall 57 for preventing a game piece from rolling off the board. Playing surface 56a leads to rearward wall 55 of the gutter, which wall is spaced from pockets 52. A spring actuated delivery component 58 is pivotally associated by means of a pin 59 with game board adjacent one end of gutter 51. Component 58 serves to deliver a game piece onto playing surface Slim, and by changing the direction of aim of the component 58, the game piece can be delivered into the adjacent end of gutter 51 or across playing surface 50a directly toward a pocket 52. When a game piece i delivered into the adjacent end of gutter 51 at a suitable velocity, the game piece is guided by wall 54 along a curved path of travel toward entrances 56 to the pockets. Provided the game piece is delivered at a suitable velocity into gutter 51, it will enter a pocket through the corresponding entrance in wall 54.

Referring to the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 6, a game board 66 is provided with a curved substantially vertical wall 61 and a game piece receiving cavity or pocket 62. Game board 60 includes a playing surface 60:: which is adapted to support to support a substantially spherical game piece for rolling contact thereon. Vertical wall 61 extends tangentially past pocket 62 and is provided with an entrance 63 through which a game piece can enter the pocket. The curved wall 61 serves to guide the game piece along a curved path of travel on the board, and if the game piece is rolled along the wall at a suitable velocity it will enter pocket 62 through entrance 63. If, however, the game piece is delivered onto the board and along well 61 at too high a speed, it will escape the pocket and continue to travel along the wall, or strike an edge of the entrance and bounce outwardly relative to the entrance and onto playing surface 66a. The game piece can be delivered onto the game board and along wall 61 by tossing the game piece by hand, or suitable delivery means, such as a ramp or spring actuated projector, can be used to deliver the game piece onto the board.

Thus, it will be seen that in this invention a game device is provided comprising a game board having a pocket or pockets for receiving a substantially spherical game piece, and is so constructed as to require skill on the part of a player for delivering the game piece or pieces onto the game board and into the pocket or pockets. In this respect the game piece is delivered onto the game board at a suitable velocity and in a direction to reach and enter a pocket, and in certain instances the game piece has aiming and velocity imparting means to aid delivery from a station.

While considerable emphasis has been placed upon both ramp and spring actuated delivery means in certain embodiments of the present invention, it will be distinctly understood that delivery means still in accordance with the practice of this invention may be of other forms. Further, the gutter described herein with respect to certain embodiments of the game device may take other forms than the curved form illustrated in the drawing. For example, the gutter may be disposed to extend transversely of the playing surface in a substantially straight line and without the side portions extending adjacent the side edges of the game board,

As many possible embodiments of the invention may be made and as many possible changes may be made in the embodiments herein set forth, it will be distinctly understood that all matter described herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not as a limitation.

I claim:

d. Game apparatus adapted to accommodate a sub stantially spherical game piece, and comprising a game board having a front, rear, and sides and a playing surface to support the substantially spherical game piece in rolling contact thereon, an upstanding wall extending along the front and sides of said board to prevent the game piece from rolling off the front and sides of the board, a pocket and a substantially U-shaped gutter in said game board accessible to the game piece from said playing surface, said pocket being disposed adjacent said front of the board, said gutter having a front portion spaced rearwardly from the front of the board and legs spaced inwardly from the sides of the board, said pocket having an entrance accessible to the game piece from said gutter for said pocket to receive the spherical game piece and said gutter having far and adjacent walls relative to said pocket, said adjacent Wall extending past said entrance and said gutter having a bottom surface with a rib extending therealong intermediate said far and adjacent walls providing said gutter with substantially parallel channels along the length thereof for either of said channels to receive the spherical game piece, said channels having raised bottoms adjacent said entrance for preventing the game piece from coming to rest adjacent the entrance, a ramp on said game board and pivotally connected with said game board adjacent the rear thereof for the game piece to be delivered onto said playing surfac and at least one obstacle pocket in said game board accessible to the game piece and so disposed between said ramp and said far wall of the gutter as to introduce a hazard against the game piece being rolled on said board from said ramp directly to said pocket.

2. Game apparatus adapted to accommodate a substantially spherical game piece, and having a front, rear, and sides and a plane playing surface for supporting the substantially spherical game piece in rolling contact thereon, a pocket and a gutter for the game piece in said game board below said playing surface and accessible from said playing surface, said pocket being disposed adjacent to said front of said board and forward of said gutter, said gutter being disposed between said pocket and said rear of the board and having far and adjacent walls relative to said pocket, said adjacent wall extending past said pocket and having an entrance for the game piece communicating with said gutter and pocket, and delivery means on said game board adjacent said rear of the board and being on the opposite side of said gutter from said pocket for the game piece to be delivered onto said plane playing surface of the board rearward of said gutter, said playing surface aifording a direct course aligned with said entrance of the pocket for the game piece to roll from said delivery means on said couse to said gutter and thence across the Width of said gutter directly into said pocket entrance.

3. Game apparatus of the character indicat d in claim '2, and in which said gutter has a locally raised bottom to prevent the game piece received in said gutter from coming to rest in the gutter at said entrance.

4. Game apparatus of the character indicated in claim 2, and said board having obstacle means so disposed between said gutter and said delivery means as to introduce a hazard against the game piece being rolled on said board from said delivery means and across said gutter directly to the pocket entrance.

5. Game apparatus adapted to accommodate a substantially spherical game piece, and comprising a game board having a front, rear, and sides and a playing surface for supporting the substantially spherical game piece in rolling contact thereon, a pocket and a substantially U-sha ped gutter in said game board, said gutter being accessible to the game piece from said playing surface, said pocket having an entrance accessible to the game piece from said gutter for said pocket to receive the spherical game piece, said pocket being disposed forward of said gutter and adjacent said front of the board, said gutter having a front portion spaced rearwardly from the front of the board and legs spaced inwardly from the sides of the board, and delivery means leading to said playing surface on the opposite side of said gutter from said pocket, for the game piece to be delivered onto said playing surface rearward of said gutter, said playing surface alfording a direct course aligned with said entrance of the pocket for the game piece to roll from said delivery means on said course to said gutter and thence across the Width of said gutter directly into said pocket entrance.

6. Game apparatus adapted to accommodate a substantially spherical game piece, and comprising a game board having a front, rear, and sides and a plane playing surface for supporting the substantially spherical game piece in rolling contact thereon, a pocket and a gutter in said game board below said plane playing surface thereof and accessible to the game piece from said playing surface, said pocket being disposed adjacent said front of said board, said gutter being disposed between said pocket and said rear of the board and having a bottom surface and far and adjacent walls relative to said pocket, said adjacent wall extending past said pocket and having an entrance accessible to the game piece communicating with said pocket and said gutter, said bottom surface being raised adjacent said entrance for preventing the game piece received in the gutter from coming to rest at said entrance, delivery means on said game board adjacent said rear of the board and including a ramp on said board, pivotally connected with the board adjacent the rear of the board, for the game piece to be delivered onto said plane playing surface, and said game board having obstacle means so disposed between said delivery means and said gutter as to introduce a hazard against the game piece being rolled on said playing surface from said delivery means and across said gutter directly to the pocket entrance.

7. Game apparatus adapted to accommodate a substantially spherical game piece, and comprising a game board having a front, rear, and sides and a playing surface for supporting the substantially spherical game piece in rolling contact thereon, a pocket and substantially U-shaped gutter in said game board, said gutter being accessible to the game piece from said playing surface, said pocket having an entrance accessible to the game piece from said gutter for said pocket to receive the spherical game piece, said pocket being disposed forward of said gutter and adjacent said front of the board, said gutter having a front portion spaced rearwardly from the front of the board and legs spaced inwardly from the sides of the board, and delivery means leading to said board on the opposite side of said gutter from said pocket and including a ramp on said board, pivotally connected with said board adjacent the rear of the board for the game piece to be delivered onto the board.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 512,104 Fishel Jan. 2, 1894 980,312 Maunders Jan. 3, 1911 1,337,773 Ireland Apr. 20, 1920 1,380,450 Wiggins June 7, 1921 1,655,401 Archer Jan. 10, 1928 2,775,457 Galbos Dec. 25, 1956 

2. GAME APPARATUS ADAPTED TO ACCOMMODATE A SUBSTANTIALLY SPHERICAL GAME PIECE, AND HAVING A FRONT, REAR, AND SIDES AND A PLANE PLAYING SURFACE FOR SUPPORTING THE SUBSTANTIALLY SPHERICAL GAME PIECE IN ROLLING CONTACT THEREON, A POCKET AND A GUTTER FOR THE GAME PIECE IN SAID GAME BOARD BELOW SAID PLAYING SURFACE AND ACCESSIBLE FROM SAID PLAYING SURFACE, SAID POCKET BEING DISPOSED ADJACENT TO SAID FRONT OF SAID BOARD AND FORWARD OF SAID GUTTER, SAID GUTTER BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID POCKET AND SAID REAR OF THE BOARD AND HAVING FAR AND ADJACENT WALLS RELATIVE TO SAID POCKET, SAID ADJACENT WALL EXTENDING PAST SAID POCKET AND HAVING AN ENTRANCE FOR THE GAME PIECE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID GUTTER AND POCKET, AND DELIVERY MEANS ON SAID GAME BOARD ADJACENT SAID REAR OF THE BOARD AND BEING ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID GUTTER FROM SAID POCKET FOR THE GAME PIECE TO BE DELIVERED ONTO SAID PLANE PLAYING SURFACE OF THE BOARD REARWARD OF SAID GUTTER, SAID PLAYING SURFACE AFFORDING A DIRECT COURSE ALIGNED WITH SAID ENTRANCE OF THE POCKET FOR THE GAME PIECE TO ROLL FROM SAID DELIVERY MEANS ON SAID COURSE TO SAID GUTTER AND THENCE ACROSS THE WIDTH OF SAID GUTTER DIRECTLY INTO SAID POCKET ENTRANCE. 